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There will be two more rounds of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships in 2021, under the latest revision to its calendar.
The October pair of events at The Bend Motorsport Park, one of which was to have included competitions such as the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, have formally been cancelled.
Instead, a round of the Motorsport Australia Championships will be held at Sandown on November 19-21, while The Bend is finally set to play host on December 10-12.
As it stands, Supercheap Auto TCR Australia’s only remaining round of 2021 is that which will be held as part of a six-day Repco Bathurst 1000 ‘festival’ on November 30-December 5, although there have been whispers of a possible Sydney event in November.
As for dropping the October meetings at The Bend, Motorsport Australia’s director of motorsport and commercial operations Michael Smith says that the changes were necessary due to border restrictions.
“It’s been a difficult year for competitors, venues, event organisers, officials and everyone involved in trying to make these events a possibility,” said Smith.
“For Motorsport Australia, we’ve made sure to be agile and flexible and today’s calendar announcement is a prime example of that ongoing work.
“While we’ve had to cancel one event, we’ve been able to lock away a further two events to allow the greatest opportunity for our categories to squeeze in as much racing as possible this year.
“Sandown will host the next round of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships in November, before we head to The Bend in December to finish off the year in style.
“Understandably, these events remain subject to ongoing travel restrictions, however the various government roadmaps provide plenty of hope that these events will be able to go ahead in line with government restrictions in each state.
“A huge thank you must go to the team at The Bend for their ongoing support and flexibility in allowing us to put on an event at their world-class venue, and likewise to the team at Sandown we are extremely grateful for their continued assistance.
“We also thank our category managers and competitors for their understanding and flexibility.
“It’s also important to acknowledge our event sponsors for their continued backing over recent months and their dedication to supporting motorsport.”
The Bend’s managing director Sam Shahin added, “In a year of challenges, motorsport has still managed to navigate a path to hold events, and Motorsport Australia has been a most progressive, sensible and trustworthy partner throughout.
“The Bend has continued to reach out to all motorsport bodies, state and national organisations, category owners, and at all levels, re-affirming our readiness to remain an integral part of the resumption of motorsport in Australia.
“We look forward to delivering more events in 2021 and to what also promises to be a sensational 2022.”
A full slate of categories, as well as any crowd or broadcast/streaming details, are yet to be confirmed.
However, MRF Tyres Australian Production Cars will race at The Bend in December, with a quartet of one-hour contests, having originally been on the billing in October.
Australian Production Cars was also to have appeared at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International, but that event was cancelled as part of the expansion of the Bathurst 1000.
It means no titles will be awarded in the series in 2021, although the agreement to appear at the Bathurst International has been extended to 2024 due to this year’s not going ahead.
Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships 2021 remaining events:
19-21 November – Sandown International Raceway
10-12 December – The Bend Motorsport Park
